What a fantastic vase, John -- and not very typical of Skrdlovice, is it? I've never seen it before, neither in the designs catalogue (unless I missed it) or on any site. Jindrich's "Ceskoslovenske Sklo" DVD offers well over 600 Skrdlovice items, but your piece is not there either.

It's a fascinating and beautiful item. I hope you'll get the answer you're looking for.

I'm here to wonder at the mystery rather than to solve it. Lovely piece, but unlike any Skrdlovice I've seen. I've never seen an engraved Skrdlovice piece, and I don't think I've seen that label. Also, the colour is unusual (early 60's?), as is the lip. If someone asked me which Czech company produced this piece, my first choice would be Harrachov and second EXBOR. Is mislabelling a possibility? Were limited production pieces by visiting designers made after hours?

I cannot think of a designer for certain, the label is pretty unusual and my best educated guess suggests it is not directly Skrdlovice. This is not disappointing, because UR, although on the Skrdlovice labels, does not mean Skrdlovice, UR is "Ustředí uměleckých řemesel Praha," the "Centre for Fol Art Production (Prague)" which had several, the main ones being Skrdlovice glassworks and the cutting centre in Prague. This piece seems to be from the cutting centre, like Michael's Stahlikova cut bowl, blown at Skrdlovice, cut at the UR cutting centre, but not a pattern book item. I would estimate a date of circa 1955 for your piece, and Smrckova, Kotik or Stahlikova as possible artists, although I am speculating really at the moment and I will try to find out more exact information. Jindrich may know a little more.... a lovely item though! (I agree with Ross about the Scandinavian influence but at the same time, the execution style makes the piece pure Czech).

Very interesting, thank you Robert. So that explains the label too, I had assumed it was another variation of a Skrdlovice label.

My vague impression as far as date went for the vase was 50s but it is so easy to be wildly inaccurate just going on impressions.

I bought the vase with another from the same seller and did not think to ask where or when she might have bought them. The second vase is the following design by Oldrich Lipsky, it has a Glassexport label and is unmarked. Of course they may have been bought at different times and in different places.

John, maybe one thing to add:in the CGR article on Maria Stahlikova (where my engraved bowl is depicted), there is mentioned that for the cut and engraved designs for the Centre of Arts in Prague 2- or 3-coloured glass either from Skrdlovice or from Karlovarske sklo (Moser) was used.

The glass quality in this vase seems much better than the one in my dish which is obvioulsy from a Skrdlovice blank; so I would rather guess that the vase was made using a Karlovarske sklo blank? (The colour does look more like Moser, too, doesn't it?).